1. La Brea Village
Downtown Inglewood, California
USC Sol Price School of Public Policy
531L-Urban Design Lab
Kevin Kohan
Fall 2012

2. Florence/La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA Analysis: D3 Block
Site Analysis Relationship to Streets
Land Use: Commercial / Industrial The D3 block is framed by E Florence Ave in the north, E
Regent St in the south, N La Brea Ave in the west, and N
ST
CE Property Description: Inglewood Townsite Market St in the east.
REN
E FLO
MARKET ST
Property Type: Vacant Land E Florence Ave and N La Brea are both busy arterial
streets that consists of six lanes. These arterial streets
Size of Entire Site: 70,882.8 sq ft disconnect the D3 block to the proposed transit stop.
D3 BLOCK
Parcel Description: Alley divides the parcel N Market St and E Regent St are less busy feeder streets
LA BREA
that consist of four lanes.
Background Information Parking
E REGENT ST On September 18, 2007, the Inglewood Redevelopment Street parking is available on all sides of the site except
Agency entered into the DDA with a developer for a for E Florence Ave. Diagonal parking is available on N
proposed 49, 800 square-foot center. The commercial Market St and street parking is available on E Regent
shopping center consisted of a mixture of retail shops St.
and restaurants and 165 on-site parking spaces. The
total project costs for the development of the site were There is a parking lot in the south-east corner of the site
estimated to be about $19,000,000. that contains forty-five parking spaces. This is a over-
flow parking lot for N Market St.
ST
NCE History
O RE Trees
FL There was a time when downtown Inglewood pulsed
E
MARKET ST
with life. Market Street was a hub of activity with movie Thirteen palm trees frame the site and provide plenty of
theaters, restaurants, shops, and popular anchor stores shade for pedestrians. The trees are healthy and nicely
such as JCPenny and S.H. Kress & Co. manicured.
LA BREA
D3 BLOCK
But in the late 1970’s department stores began moving Pedestrian Walkway
to malls in neighboring cities, leaving smaller businesses
struggling. Today empty lots, boarded up storefronts and Well maintained sidewalks border the site and provide
abandoned buildings line Market Street. ample space for pedestrians with its wide public right of
way.
E REGENT ST
Kevin Kohan

3. Florence/ La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA Base Map
Downtown Inglewood suffers from a substantial number of
commercial vacancies along Market Street and the area overall
is perceived as unsafe. The City has not been able to rebrand
N
the community as a desirable place to live, work, and play.
LA
Attention must be paid to make Downtown Inglewood a desirable
BR
EA
destination for young people, including students in the area.
BL
W There is a significant student population in the Downtown area
VD
BE Transit Stop
AC
HA
(N) with no reasonable or interesting destinations for social and
E
AV
VE educational interaction after school.
E
C
EN
N HILLCREST BLVD
R
The station has physical limitations because of its grade
O
FL
separation and proximity to established businesses. In addition,
E
the vehicle traffic on Florence and La Brea deters pedestrian
Food Mart uses.
(E)
Walgreens
E
AV
(E)
Y
N LOCUST ST
IV
W
Institutional
W FLORENC
E AV E
Parking
S LA BREA BLVD
D3 Block
(E) CVS
Fire station (E)
(E) LA Superior Court Residential
(E)
E REGENT ST
W REGENT ST Commercial
Regency
N MARKET BLVD
Towers Civic Use
(E)
College
(E) Theater Light Industrial
(E)
George Crozier
Middle School
(E) City
Hall
W QUEEN ST (E)
Public Library Housing Services
(E) (E)
North
W MANCHESTER BLVD
Bank of America
Inglewood Inglewood (E)
High School Adult School
(E) (E)
250 FT
Kevin Kohan

4. Florence/ La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA Schematic Design
The proposed site of the Florence/La Brea station enjoys a
strategic and catalytic location for transit-oriented development
in the Market Street Commercial Corridor, which is within walking
N
E
distance to the Inglewood Civic Center. This schematic design
LA
AV
E
BR
proposes to activate pedestrian linkages with the Market Street
C
EN
EA
Commercial Corridor and Inglewood Civic Center by creating
R
W
O
BL
FL
BE interconnected walkways, alley ways, and plazas throughout the
VD
Transit Stop
AC
E
H (N)
AV Downtown area.
E
Existing business and tenants will activate pedestrian linkages
to the station site and greening of the streetscape will make
the area more visually appealing. The addition of pedestrian
N HILLCREST BLVD
crossings and bridges will make the community safer and more
Food Mart pedestrian friendly.
(E)
Walgreens Institutional
E
AV
(E)
N LOCUST ST
Y
IV
Parking
W
Residential
W FLORENC CVS
E AV E D3 Block (E)
(E) Commercial
Fire station LA Superior Court
(E) Civic Use
(E)
W REGENT ST
E REGENT ST Light Industrial
Regency
S LA BREA BLVD
N MARKET BLVD
Towers
(E) Cross Walk
College
Theater
George Crozier (E)
(E)
Pedestrian Bridge
Middle School
(E)
City Hall Trees
(E)
W QUEEN ST
Alleyways/Plazas
Public Library Housing
(E) (E)
North
W MANCHESTER BLVD
Inglewood B of A
Inglewood Adult School (E)
High School (E)
(E)
250 FT
Kevin Kohan

5. Florence/La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA Precedent: Glendale Chess Park
The Chess Park officially opened on July 17, 2004. The park Five light towers made of synthetic canvas and recycled plastic The park is located in a previously under used passageway which
is approximately 4,500 square feet in size. The park is located and wood adorn the park. Each tower represents a different runs between two retail shops in the Brand Boulevard business
between two retail stores on Brand Boulevard providing both a chess piece and the 16 concrete chess tables with black-and- district, connecting a city parking structure to the bustling street
recreation area and a passageway for patrons. white inlaid boards provide seating for retail workers and patrons front shops, restaurants, and theaters on Brand Boulevard,
to enjoy their lunches and coffee breaks. Glendale’s main thoroughfare.
Kevin Kohan

6. Florence/La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA Precedents: Alley ways
Rock climbing Alley Green Alley Reclaiming Alleys
• Orlando, Florida • Cosmo Alley, Los Angeles • EaCa Alley, Los Angeles
• Urban explorers can scale city alley walls. • Transform neglected alley ways to green spaces. • Providing a safe and environmentally friendly pedestrian
• Unique opportunity to incorporate recreation in urban landscape • Sustainable pedestrian havens. thoroughfare.
• Give space back to the public for recreational use. • Unique signage and lighting allow pedestrians to enjoy outdoor
dinning and patio space.
Kevin Kohan

7. Florence/La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA Precedent: City Place Live-Work Lofts
City Place Live-Work lofts in Santa Ana, California is a 84 live-work City Place is an innovative urban enclave in the heart of Santa This is a useful precedent because of the similarities of sites for the
unit construction. The lofts at City Place recaptures that urban Ana. City Place is built for a new kind of lifestyle: pedestrian- development as well as the similarities of goals. The opportunity
landscape with its array of edgy, industrial, artistic live/work lofts. friendly, relaxed, vital and stimulating. The live-work lofts are to attract a live-work community that will someday be very transit
At street level, you’ll find retail and creative design businesses designed into the current design of the surrounding community, focused with the ideal of lessening traffic on La Brea and Florence
of all kinds. Above, soaring lofts of glass, exposed beams and even using the facade of one of the original buildings on the site. Boulevard will be great for the city of Inglewood.
unique materials turn the streetscape into a work of art all its own.
Kevin Kohan

8. Florence/ La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA Circulation Plan
• Activate pedestrian linkages with interconnected walkways,
W
BE alleys, and plazas that connects the new TOD to the
AC
H
AV
surrounding communities and civic uses.
E
• Improve bicycle access with designated bike lanes.
N
LA
BR
• Allow La Brea and Florence Ave to be primary access routes
EA
with high speed traffic, while providing alternative secondary
BL
VD
access routes to the site.
Local Streets
Secondary Access Route
N HILLCREST BLVD
N MARKET BLVD
E FLORENC
N LOCUST ST
E AVE Primary Access Route
Pedestrian Walkways
Bicycle Path
E REGENT ST
Railroad
W QUEEN ST
North
W MANCHESTER BLVD
250 FT
Kevin Kohan

9. Florence/ La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA La Brea Village
La Brea Village is a transit oriented development that embodies
a well designed system of interconnected walkways, alleys,
and plazas that connects the new TOD to the surrounding
communities and civic uses.
As transit riders arrive from the transit stop they are welcomed to
W Transit Stop/
Retail Plaza
a large open plaza that is surrounded by convenient commercial
BE
N
AC (N)
uses. As riders exit the slightly higher elevated transit station,
LA
H Park &
AV Ride (N) they are able to view the Downtown and Civic Core that awaits
BR
E Retail
them. The system of interconnected alleys connects the
EA
Food (N)
BL
Market
Retail extended commercial hub at the north of the site to the mixed-
VD
(E)
(E)
Retail
Retail use core, down to the adaptive reuse district in the south.
(N)
(N)
Parking
(N)
(Extended Retial Core) La Brea Village engages the community with its unique
interconnected walkways, provides an attractive frontage along
N HILLCREST BLVD
Walgreens
(E)
La Brea Blvd and Florence Ave, increases open space, and
Retail provides a mixture of uses which will spur future development in
(N)
Retail the vicinity.
(N)
Live/Work
Retail Lofts
(N) (N)
E FLORENC
E AVE
Institutional
Retail MFR/Office
MFR/Retial
(N) (N)
(N)
Fire station Parking
(E) Court Live/Work
Superior Court Court Plaza Civic
Civic Parking MFR/Office MFR/Retail Lofts
(E) (E) (E) (E)
( N) (N) (N) (N)
(E)
Single Family Residential
E REGENT ST (Mixed-Use Core)
Retail Retail MFR
Juvenile Retail Retail Parking
Court Civic (N) (E) ( N) Regency
(E) (E) (E) Commercial
S LA BREA BLVD
(E) Retail
(E) Towers
(E)
(E) MFR
N MARKET BLVD
Civic
Civic (E) Recreational
(E) MFR
N LOCUST ST
(E) Theater (E)
Retail
(E)
(E) Mixed Use
George Crozier
(Civic Core) College
(E) Retail
MFR/Retail
(N) MFR (E)
Middle School Retail Parking (E)
(E) City Hall
(E) ( N) MFR (E) Light Industrial
(E) Civic Parking
(E) ( E)
W QUEEN ST
Retail Parking Retail Retail Parking
Multi-Family Residential
Civic Civic (E) ( N) (E) (E) ( N)
(E) (E) MFR (E)
Civic
(E) Retail Retail MFR (E) Underground Railroad
Retail Retail (E) (E)
Public Civic
Civic (E) (E)
Library (E) Retail
(E) Civic
(E)
(E) Housing Services (E) Retail
(E)
Trees
(E)
North
W MANCHESTER BLVD
(Adaptive Reuse Core) Section cuts
Parking Retail Parking
Inglewood Retail Bank of
(N) (E) (N)
Adult School Retail (E) America
(E) (E) (E)
Retail
(N) Retail
Inglewood Retail
(E)
High School (E)
(E)
250 FT
Kevin Kohan

10. Florence/La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA Site Sections
10’ 10’
10’
10’ 10’
10’
10’ 10’
20’
15’ 20’
40’ 35’
Mixed-Use Core
• View from N Market Street of mixed-use core along with pedestrian friendly retail promenade.
• Mixed-use core includes high ceiling retail on the first floor and three floors of housing above.
• Promenade includes many beautiful trees, lighting, and creative seating arrangements.
10’
10’
30’ 10’
15’
50’ 70’ 140’
Adaptive Reuse Core
• View from N Market Street of adaptive reuse core and alleyways.
• Adaptive reuse core and its alleys is a year round garden showcase for plants, lighting, sculptures, and outdoor.
furnishings. Alley ways increase pedestrian traffic and opportunity to increase business and revenue.
Kevin Kohan